The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-02-09

by the steamer Pekin, from Kiu-kiang,
having all but accomplished his run round
the world on bicycle. A spare, wiry-look-
ing man of about five feet seven, he seems
none the worse for his journey and the
discomforts of most of the last part of it,
and speaks cheerfully of his experience
generally. His first serious obstacle was
encountered in Afghanistan. He was the
guest of the British Delimitation Commits
sioners for several days, but by their adj
vice turned back 300 miles to Berjande,
after which he struck off again into
Afghanistan, at point safe distance
from the commission and their mes
sages; but at Furrah. halfway be-
tween Herat and Kandahar he was arrested
by an Afghan chief acting under orders,
who, after some days, escorted him back
to Herat. He was we'll treated by the
Afghans, but they would not listen 10 his
explanation of his journeying without n
political object, and so carried him to Per-
sian territory again. He was obliged to
return to the Caspian, from which he went
by way of the Caspian railway, and reached
Constantinople, and from thence by steam
er to Currachee. So that to travel 300
miles by land he had to go 5000 miles by
sea. From Currachee he went through
Lahore, Delhi. Agra, Cawnpore 10 CAL
Culld, llOm MutACc lOOh slcuHlCl "
Hong Kong.
On Nov 10 be got his bicycle under way
again and started for Canton, but he found
il simply useless from the badness of the
roads. Fifty miles were not covered be-
tween Canton and Kiukiang. One moment
he thought that he was on the highway to
somewhere in particular, the next few yards
brought him TO the end of the pathway.
which to his modification he found ter
minated in a paddy field. So intricate and
difficult to travel were the roads that it took
him over twenty-four hours 10 ride thirty
miles after leaving Canton. He found most
of these pathways about twenty inches
wide, and high boulders blocked his way
at short intervals.
He reluctantly determined to give his
bicycle rest and take TO n sampan. 1t
took four days to reach Chao- choo- foo by
this means, and then after short time on
shore TO stretch his legs, he got into the
boat again and did not leave it for four days
more, when he found himself under the
Meeling Pass and in the province of
Kiangse, Then he fancied that his way
was straight before him, for the roads sud-
denly improved and the bicycle, which had
beon for eight days borne by coolies, was
once more put into requisition, and he
spun merrily ahead till he reached Kin
Bal-IOO. Lie WeulneT tdnlOu 10 the
Meeliug Pass was very warm, but after
that il grew cold and ain fell, which rem
dered that portion of the journey doubly
difficult and dsagreeable. The traveller
was greatly impressed with the high state
of cultivation IN the provinces through
which h. passed, and with the beauty of
some of the temples, notably of that be-
tween Tchinyuen and Lo- choo- foo.
The people everywhere treated him very
we'll till he reached Kan tchou-foo, where
the inhabitants attacked him with stones,
and matters were looking very serious when
he reached the yamen accompanied by two
soldiers, who were sent with him by the
head man at Ta-ho. The crowd here was
very noisy and threatening, and amounted
to several hundred. But the populace who
were crying out to kill the foreign devil"
contiived to seize the bicycle, which, how
ever, escaped with only one broken spoke,
and it was only with the greatest difficulty
that he was smuggled out of the yamen,
and after great exertions on the part of the
Che hsien, who had to make several
proclamations calling upon the mob TO dis
perse. But beyond two or three bruises
and many indentations in his topee, from
stones, Mr.. Stevens escaped injury.
Ii Will be interesting to epicures to know
that Mr.. Stevens carried no commissariat
with him, but lived on the food of the peo-
pie through whose countries he passed,
nor did he carry tent, although he start
ed with one from Constantinople. He soon
discarded it, and was content to put up
with whatever sleeping accommodations
he could find. on the way, sometimes under
n tree or rock again in the shelter of the
tents or huts he came across, and still
again in the gorgeous palaces of the civil
lied rulers of the many lands of the East,
from Calcutta to Constantinople. In his
opinion the only roads III China were water
roads-that is, tie rivers. and he longed to
be able TO change his bicycle for a house
boat, only fU his undertaking TO so round
the world ON wheels.